Developing breastfeeding health literacy measuring instrument for mothers, evaluating the levels of mothers' health literacy about breastfeeding with this instrument and determining the factors that affects these factors

In this study developing breast feeding health literacy measuring instrument for mothers, evaluating the levels of mothers? health literacy about breast feeding with this instrument and determining the factors that affects these factors are aimed. The study was applied to 414 mothers over 18 years of age who are admitted to two numbered healthy child clinic of Gazi University Health Research and Application Hospital between 01 December 2012- 31 January 2013. Having an infant or children and taking care of an infant or child aged between 0-24 months, not having twins, admitting to clinic for the first time and approved to be in the study were the criteria for acceptence to the study. The participation rate is 90.2%. This study is a cross-sectional study with a questionnaire was used as data collection. p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. 83.6% of the mothers were between 18-35. The mean for mother age was 29,62±5,43 years, the median was 29 years (range 18-42 years). 63.3% of the mothers were at high school or higher level educational levels, 49.3% of the mothers had one child. The mean for number of children was 1,69±0,82 and the median was 2 (range 1-5 children). 72.9% of the mothers had habit of reading book. Reading, Comprehension-Correlation was found positive, powerful between Numerical Skills Test (Okuma Anlama-Sayısal Beceri Testi=OASBT) and Word Pronunciation Test (Kelime Telaffuz Testi=KTT) (The correlation coefficient for OASBT and KTT scores 0,647, p<0,05). 58.9 % of the mothers had adequate health literacy for prepared OASBT test that was taken account of TOFLA test. 61.0% of the mothers had adequate health literacy for prepared KTT test that was taken account of KTT test. As the result of multiple regression analyses models that having done to determine factors that affect OASBT test scores, education level, habit of reading book, status of reading the placard/brochure in the hospital were significantly associated with OASBT test scores. As the result of multiple regression analyses models that having done to determine factors that affect KTT test scores, education level, number of children, habit of reading book were significantly associated with KTT test scores. This study is first practice to develop a breast feeding health literacy measuring instrument for mothers.There is no gold standard instrument that can evaluate the level of health literacy in Turkey. For this reason comprehensive studies are needed to develope a gold standard instrument on this subject in our country. Key words: developing of health literacy measuring instrument, health literacy about breast feeding, the factors that affect the level of mother?s health literacy